ROCHESTER, Mich. – The Oakland County Health Division said the demand for the COVID vaccine is far greater than the county’s supply.
The county has scheduled 17,000 appointments for vaccines so far, but can’t continue for the rest of the hundreds of thousands of people who are eligible.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer moved Michigan into Phase 1B, which handed a massive task to local health departments.
Phase 1B means residents who are 65 and older can make appointments to get the vaccine, along with essential workers.
Oakland County is getting 1,950 doses of the vaccine each week. There are more than 215,000 people in Oakland County who are 65 and older.
READ: How Oakland County residents can schedule COVID-19 vaccination appointment
The Oakland County Health Division set up a drive-thru vaccination clinic at Rochester Fire Station No. 2. Nearly 500 residents will receive the first dose of the vaccine.
The county set up 40 phone lines to make appointments, but the lines have been swamped.
“They are swamped. It is frustrating for everybody,” said Dr. Russell Faust, Oakland County’s medical director. “Frustrating for us. We have the capacity to vaccinate 20,000 a week, we are getting 2,000 a week.”
County officials went live Wednesday with a new website called “Save Your Spot.” The county is asking everyone who wants the vaccine to fill out a short form to get in line and -- when their time comes -- the county will contact you.
Save Your Spot can be found at OaklandCountyVaccine.com.
Faust said as the county works to get more vaccine doses delivered, residents should reach out to their personal health care system, which should be receiving more doses.
Ideally, Faust said he would want 20,000 doses per week, but understands that two companies are producing vaccines for a global pandemic. He said he’s confident things will improve.
Because supply of the vaccine is limited, residents are required to get an appointment. More information on how to set up an appointment can be found here.